


These Scars You Hide

by SerenLyall



Series: Star Wars Tumblr Prompts [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, F/M, Past Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 15:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13238196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenLyall/pseuds/SerenLyall
Summary: Han discovers something new about Leia.





	These Scars You Hide

**Author's Note:**

> "The hologram collar hides Leia's scars. -anonymous"

The first time Han sees the scars, he doesn’t know what they are.

They are lying in bed together, Leia stretched lazily out beside Han, the sheet of his bunk pooled across her bare hips, one hand propped beneath her head. Han is looking up at her, and trails his fingertips lightly from her jaw to her collarbone, down to her chest, then up again.

He feels them first as small, hard bumps against her collarbone. He frowns, and runs his fingers down the length of the bone, feeling more with every inch of skin he touches.

“Leia,” he asks, still not suspecting what they are. “What are these?”

Beneath his hand, Leia freezes. “What are what?” she asks, but Han knows her well enough by now to know that she doesn’t need to ask.

“These bumps,” Han says. “On your collarbone.”

Leia pulls away from him and sits up, gathering the sheet to her chest. The bumps–visible, now that Han knows what he is looking for–disappear beneath it. She turns away, and then slides out of the bed and begins to gather her clothes from the floor.

“Leia?” Han asks, sitting up as well. “Sweetheart? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Leia said, facing away from him. She hesitated in pulling on her pants, however.

“Leia,” Han implores softly. “Talk to me.”

Leia turns on him. “What do you want me to say?” she all but snarls.

Han looks at her helplessly, not knowing what to say. “The truth?” he dares to say at last.

Leia glares at him. But then, unexpectedly, she slumps to the ground. Han scrambles out of the bed and falls to his knees in front of her. Tucking his right hand beneath her chin, he lifts Leia’s face to meet his gaze.

“Leia,” he says again, even softer than before. “Please.”

Leia pulls away, but does not rise. There is a long moment of silence, but then, in a small voice, Leia says, “It was the needles.”

Han’s blood runs cold. He bites back a curse.

“They injected the truth serum and…and whatever else they injected me with, in the collarbone. On the Death Star,” she adds, needlessly. Han knows what she’s talking about. “The droids, they…” She trails off, shuddering.

“It’s okay,” Han says, and gathers her to him. “It’s okay.”

She shivers in the safe circle of Han’s arms and buries her face against his shoulder. He feels her grab the front of his shirt in her fists, and she clings tight to him. He clings tight to her too.

“It’s okay,” Han says again. “You’re safe now. You’re free. And I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to keep that from ever happening to you again. I swear it.”

Leia nods against his chest. 

After another moment she pulls away. She quickly swipes at her eyes, and sniffles once. Then she stands.

“Thank you,” she says, but she won’t meet Han’s eyes.

“You’re welcome,” Han says. The words feel hollow on his tongue.

Without a smile, and without a word, Leia turns on her heel and disappears through the door.

Han gets to his feet slowly, and begins to pull on his own clothes, which lay scattered around the room. He hopes, as he fastens his pants, that Leia will be okay. Maybe not today–probably not any time soon–but someday.

He hopes he’s still there to see that day come.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, consider leaving a review?


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